De-escalation training begins in February

In a perfect world, there would be no conflict or undesired interactions between people. Unfortunately, that world does not exist, and everyone experiences interpersonal conflict in their lives. For RTD employees, it is even more important to know how to safely navigate these interactions so all parties walk away unharmed. That is why, starting in late February, all RTD operating divisions will host mandatory de-escalation training for frontline employees.

In accordance with Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) requirements, all RTD transit workers in operations and maintenance, as well as transit workers directly responsible for safety, must complete the 8-hour training. Employees will be paid their normal wages while participating.

The unified training curriculum – part of RTD’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) and provided by Personal Safety Training Inc. – is designed to give bus and train operators, maintenance workers and Transit Police officers the skills, techniques and tips needed to verbally de-escalate dangerous situations with individuals and groups who desire to cause harm to employees and customers alike. The trainings seek to mitigate the risk of conflict within the workplace as well.

“We want them (our employees) to focus on verbal de-escalation to calm agitated situations that bus operators and other public-facing employees often encounter,” said Chris Deines, General Superintendent of Bus Transportation. “Such an approach can help operators navigate fare disputes and other conflicts better, resulting in a resolution rather that a physical assault or escalated verbal situation.”

In addition to verbal de-escalation techniques, the training will also explore how to report incidents to Bus Dispatch and Transit Police so authorities can respond faster and more effectively to a situation.

With the agency unveiling its three strategic initiatives in 2023, the new training has been built to be molded around the initiatives and, with the recommendation of Transit Police, expanded to include a strong focus around de-escalating tense scenarios.

Employees who are required to take the training will be contacted by their supervisors and managers for scheduling. Please reach out to a supervisor or manager if questions arise.